Blood protesters petition McKnight

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BLOOD RESERVE - A group of Blood protesters will ask the Department of Indian affairs minister to suspend the Blood chief and council until the issue of the new election system is resolved.

At a demonstration here, October 14, Duncan Bottle, one of the organizers, said the group is adamantly opposed to the new four-year election system. The system, which will begin with the 1986 Blood tribal elections in November, will see the current two-year term for the chief and councillors replaced with four-year terms.

In the election, the six highest vote-getters of the 12 positions available will be given four-year terms. The least vote-getters will be on council for two-year terms.

In 1988, following the expiration of the two-year terms, an election will be held

for the six positions available. After that, all positions will be four years in length. So, an election for six council positions will go every two years. The election for chief will run every four years.

Bottle said the group will travel to Ottawa this month to meet with DIAND minister, Bill McKnight, and tell him to suspend the current Blood chief and council for three months until the issue is resolved.

The group will also present a petition signed by Blood band members who oppose the new election system.

The group wants a referendum on the new election system and the voting age to remain at 21, instead of 20. They also want the Blood elections, traditionally held in November to be postponed until the referendum is held.

Bottle contends chief and council is still governed under the Indian act and they must consult with the band membership before they make a final decision.

Instead, Bottle said council listens and follows the advice of a few educated Indians rather than their own electorate.

Bottle said band members did not know about the new election system until they read news reports in the Kainai News and Lethbridge Herald.

He said the Blood chief and council style of government is similar to Marxism. "They (chief and council) are dictators.

"If they (chief and council) can't learn what they're supposed to do in two years then they're stupid," said Bottle.

Speaker after speaker at the demonstration harshly criticized the Blood chief and council for making decisions behind closed doors and often without consulting its membership.

Philip Aberdeen, Jr., referred to an August 29 article in the Kainai News which reported to the new election system. "This article says that the Bloods wanted the new system. Who are the Bloods? The administration body and chief and council, or the general membership."

"This is absurd. Chief and council (Blood) are governing us without consulting us," he said.

"We have self-interest government. It's run by people who are in council for themselves."

Aberdeen encouraged more Bloods to take a firm stand on the new election system. "It's up to us to form a solid group. It's time people wake up to support us because this new election system has far-reaching implications."

Teresa Healy, a Blood education worker, said some issues need to be settled before the new election system is implemented. "We have problems on the reserve because we have no policies, code of ethics or terms of references for our chief and council."

John Chief Moon, Sr. said the group has been unsuccessful in their attempts to have a meeting with the Blood chief and council.

He also criticized the council for making decisions without consulting the membership.

"We're lost. We don't know what's going on," said Chief Moon, referring to the lack of communication and information between Council and its electorate.

Chief Moon said he will continue to use the media to relay their message on the new election system. He will also continue to lobby provincial and federal ministers, including the Prime Minister of Canada, Brian Mulroney, to convince the DIAND minister to reverse the Blood chief and council's decision on the new election system.

Less than 0 people attended the demonstration at Ernest Healy's residence in the Lavern community of the Blood reserve.

"A lot of people wanted to come but they had no money for transportation," said Annie Cotton, a former Blood tribal councillor who is actively supporting the dissident group.

More meetings will be held in various areas of the community to inform the Bloods about the new changes in the election system, said the protesters.